M&L Celebrate New Year's Eve - 2012

Today the Vielot-Gonzalez clan was going to be celebrating a two-fer (aka two-in-one holiday). We were going to be celebrating New Year's Eve, but it was also the first time we would be seeing the Gonzalez family since Thanksgiving, so it was also going to be a Christmas celebration

Papi had to work and for once Mommy did not, so the kids and I went into the city to meet Papi for lunch.

We ate a yummy Japanese lunch..."yah for chopsticks!"

Then we went to go see The Tree in Rockefeller Center...perfect NYC day

Later we headed over to Aba and Abu's house where Lucia got to hang with girl cousin, Melanie...

...And Mateo got to hang with his boy cousins Ayden and Antonio

Grown-up cousins enjoy grown-up drinks

Mateo and Aba got down on the dance floor

We even got to hang with baby cousin Elena via Skype

Abu and Papi show love to Tia

"Happy New Year!"

M&L Celebrate Christmas in Hoboken

So today we got home so late that it was basically the next morning. We figured/hoped that the kids would fall asleep on their way home from the airport, but this was not the case. I guess that were so excited about the prospect of what Santa had left them when they were in Miami.

Each of them got to pick one gift to open tonight and they had to wait until the next morning to open the remainder. Lucia chose this...Gymnastics Dora

Mateo opened the Spynet binoculars. After that we made them go to bed ...

...and then of course the next morning they woke up bright and early to start tearing apart the rest. From the looks of it, they must have been very good this year because Santa left them a bevy of presents

Mateo was very satisfied with his mountain of gifts

And so was Miss Lucia

Next they opened their combined gifts...oooh Easy Bake Oven

And a glow dome

Pretty sweet shared gifts

What is this !? More gifts in their stockings!!!

The mountain just got bigger

"Yeah it did!"

Lucia is ready to rumble - Soccer Boppers!

M&L Celebrate Elijah's Birthday

So after 6 years of Chuck E Cheese -free birthdays, Mateo has managed to get to celebrate twice in the cheesy place. Last week for Chickie and today for Elijah, Freddie's grandson who was visiting from Sweden. Although Mateo was now a professional at the party place, this was the first time for Miss Lucia.

Both kids enjoyed partaking in Mommy's favorite game - Skeeball!

Even Grandma got in on the fun

"This is awesome!!!"

Papi and Mateo spent a long time playing on this battle video game...

...while Miss Lucia drove around Mr. Cheese

And then took a pony ride

Mateo had a great time with birthday boy, Elijah

M&L Visit Hialeah Family and Friends (O.G.)

Another day in sunny South Florida brings another day of happiness and family visits. Today's visits included a trip to see more family and friends .

We started the day out in Hialeah where the kids got to splash around with their cousin in the lake behind Abuelo Julio's house

Lucia, in her wet suit, got comfortable on the paddle boat

Mateo was so excited he didn't need a wet suit to keep warm

And Alejandro decided he didn't need any swim gear whatsoever, he could chill "on the beach" in his play clothes

"Happy happy joy joy!"

The kids had a great time splashing around and building sand structures

And when they had enough, they changed their clothes, ate a snack and relaxed on the ouch to watch some TV

Meanwhile Mommy got a sweet treat ...the real dulce de leche

After Hialeah, we headed north to Weston, where we visited Papi's old time friend from CMU...Otis

Mateo had a great time with Otis's daughter Olivia

They played the  Dance Revolution video game...

and even Miss Lucia got into it.

At the end of the night it was time for us to say "bye bye", but before that Mommy and Lucia shared a smile with Joanna before we left

M&L Spend Christmas with Grandma -2012

Of course the great thing about being a child with family all over the place is that you get to have several Christmas celebrations. Last night the kids celebrated with the Vielots and today they got to enjoy Christmas with Grandma and the Ambrose family.

But first a Christmas breakfast with the nuclear family..."yum, yum cereal"

After breakfast, the kids got to open up their Christmas gifts at Coral Sea...it turns out Santa knew they were in Miami and dropped of a few gifts there.

One of the things on Mateo's list was a Brawlin' Buddy...Jon Cena!

Lucia wanted a Barbie from Santa...and he delivered a black, female President Barbie...my how times have changed

Lucia is all dolled up and ready to go to Grandma's

And at Grandma's the gifts got better...a brand new bike for Mateo

"Thanks Grandma!"

And of course, Miss Lucia also got her own little bike

Lucia is ready to roll

Mateo is almost ready to go with a little help from Grandma

Freddie and his daughter, Monifa, were also putting together Christmas gifts...the boys got remote-controlled airplanes

Now that he has a helmet he is ready for a ride

Suburban glory - Papi, Lucia and Mateo head to the park with their bikes and a ball

The first ride for Lucia 

And after a few practice rides, Mateo starts to get the hang of it